Contact-maker for electric clocks



(No Model.)

L. H. SPELLIER.

CONTACT MAKER FOR ELECTRIC CLOCKS. No. 330,632. Patented Nov. 17; 1885.

' IJVVEWTOR lam/ 11572 ezliej;

hi .dttorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LOUIS H. SPELLIER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT-MAKER FOR ELECTRIC CLOCKS.

@PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,632, dated November17, 185.

(No modclf:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LoUIs H. SPELLIER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inContact-Makers for Electric Clocks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to electric clocks. Heretofore the escapement-wheelof a clock, when used for the making and breaking of an electric circuitto actuate secondary electric dials, has not at the moment of the makeand break exercised any more force while operating the circuit-closerthan while serving its original purpose alonenamely, that of giving tothe oscillating pendulum of the clock the impulses needed for thecontinuation of its movement. The power necessary for such impulses isvery slight, and yet the escapementwheel cannot be propelled with muchsurplus,

of power without damaging results to the good condition of the clock.Under ordinary circumstances,therefore, the escapewheel cannot operate acircuit-breaker with sufficient energy to make a reliable contact forthe passage of the electric current, and since the contact must be afirm one to insure such passage, frequent failure to form a completeelectric circuit is a not uncommon consequence. This fact has greatlyinterfered with the reliability of secondary electric clocks and theirmore general introduction into use for public purposes.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties and providemeans and mechanism whereby perfect contact is assured.

My invention operates upon the principle of theinclined plane; and itconsists in forming upon or providing the shaft or arbor of theescapement-wheel, or one of the other wheels of a clock-work, with a camwhich is adapted to engage a weighted or spring or otherwise actuatedroller, lug, or lever, the said cam beso arranged that it will be makingcontact while the shaft is subjected to the increased force.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one way of carrying out myinvention, and as it is applied to the escapement-whecl of a clock toactuate electric dials.

Upon an escapement-wheel. which is mounted upon the usual shaft orarbor, is secured the cam A, the periphery of which is made in the formof a curve, which from the point 19 toward the point 1), around thegreater portion of the cam, gradually leaves the center of the axle, thepoint 1) being nearest the centcr and the point 1) being farthesttherefrom. As sh own, the shorter portion of the periphery of the cambetween the points 19 and p is made as a straight incline. Upon theshaft is also secured an arm or bar, A which has at one end a pin, a.Suitably pivoted in the frame of the clock is a weighted orspringpressed arm or lever, F, which, as shown, may be adj ustablyplaced or weighted. This arm F carries a roller, f,which bears againstthe cam A. ires D E of an electric circuit have their ends fitted withsprings d e, which are so arranged as to be normally separatedelectrically. These springs are so located that they will lie in thepath of the pin a of the arm A, or of the end of the arm itself, asdesired, or of a pin on the escape-wheel or cam, so that when they areboth touched thereby they will be connected electrically, and thus closethe circuit.

B represents a suitable battery, and C an elcctro-magnet placed in themain circuit D.

E represents a short circuit.

d, d, and e are the terminals of the battery, d and (2 being terminalsof the main line, while 0 is a terminal of the short circuit. It isintended that the terminal d shall rest upon or be electricallyconnected with the arbor, while d is to make contact with the pins orprojections to complete the main circuit. The terminals are in the formof springs. The ter minal (1, being in contact with a pin, completes themain circuit, and the current takes the course shown by the arrowsmarked 1. The terminal 6 is placed a little higher than or beyond theterminal d, and therefore does not touch the pin a as the commutator Arotates until after the pin has been an appreciable time in contact withthe terminal d'; but as the bar continues to move the terminal a will, amoment before the terminal cl leaves the pin or projection, also comeinto contact with it,

5 at which moment the terminal 6 will make a short circuit through theconductor E, when the course of the battery-current becomes thatindicated by the arrows marked 2, while the induced current from themagnet, which ap pears at the moment the short circuit is made, sincethis short circuit depletes the magnet, takes the course indicated bythe arrows marked 3. A moment after the terminal d leaves the pin orprojection the terminal 0 fol- 5 lows it, and the short circuit is alsobroken, and thus to my present invention is adapted a sparklesscircuit-breaker.

The operation of the mechanism for turning the shaft with increasedforce at any desirable point or points will be as follows: As theescapementwheel on its shaft revolves it turns with it the cam A and armA. Now, supposing the rollerf were at the point p, or at that pointwhich is nearest the center of the shaft, 5 the escapement revolving inthe direction of the arrow, the pin a will then have just passed thespring 6, and the weighted arm will be gradually raised by means of itsattached roller up until it reaches the point 1), (that most distantfrom the center of the shaft,) upon passing which the roller will actagainst the abrupt incline from p to p, thus causing the shaft to turnwith increased force. While the roller is bearing against the inclinefrom p to 5 1), and the shaft revolving with greatest force,

the pin a is hearing against one or both of the springs. hen the rolleragain reaches the point p, the operation is repeated.

It will thus be seen that by my invention surplus force in the shaft isgradually stored up and utilized at the proper moment to make electricalcontact.

It is obvious that other means or devices may be substituted for thosebereinbefore specifically described for making the contact, so I do notlimit myself to the exact devices described. It is obvious,also, thattwo or more cam-edges with suitableinclined portions may be made upon asingle disk, in order that the force with which the shaft shall turn maybe increased more than once in one revolution.

By this construction the force with which the shaft revolves may beincreased as often as contacts are made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The combination, with a shaft and a cam made with anincline for a portion ofits periphery, against which a weighted springor otherwise actuated roller, lug, orlever bears to impel the shaft with greater force, of means, substantially as described, for making andbreaking an electric circuit, the shaft being impelled with greaterforce at the time of contact, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a shaft and a cam made with an incline for aportion ofits periphery, against which a weighted or otherwise actuatedroller, lug, or lever bears to impel the shaft with greater force at aparticular time, of an arm adapted to make electrical contact, the saidcontact being made at the moment the shaft is i mpelled with greaterforce, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS H. SPELLIER.

Xvi t n esses:

R. G. DYRENFORTH, W. WV. MORTIMER.

